(PS5-88) Understanding the Role of Mood Repair Strategies in Pre-adolescent Depression: Risk Factors, Demographics, Treatment, and Developmental Considerations

Background: Pre-adolescent depression disorders (DD) affect 0.4%-2.5% of children ages 7 to 11 and treatment is frequently multifaceted, including psychotherapy, medication, and family-based interventions. Therapeutic strategies focus on enhancing adaptive mood repair efforts (e.g., problem-solving, cognitive reappraisal) and reducing maladaptive efforts (e.g., avoidance, isolation). 

Children often increase adaptive responses and reduce maladaptive ones as they move from childhood to mid-adolescence. However, DD youth often exhibit expanded repertoires of both maladaptive and adaptive strategies. Family dynamics shape emotional regulation skills, and family-based treatments show promise in treating pre-adolescent depression. 

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the potential influence of several factors, including treatment (family versus individual), age, gender, depression severity, and overall functioning, on mood repair strategies yoyl pre-adolescent youth diagnosed with depression.

Methods: As part of a large RCD, 134 DD children were randomly assigned to 15 sessions of either Family Focused Treatment or individual supportive psychotherapy . The children's depressive symptoms were assessed at mid-treatment and then fully evaluated after acute treatment (16 weeks), 32 weeks, and 52 weeks. At post-treatment and followup, children's overall functioning, depression severity, and utilization of mood-repair strategies were comprehensively evaluated.

Results: Correlation analysis and repeated measures ANCOVA tests were utilized to analyze the data. Coping strategies were significantly impacted by age, gender, Childhood Depression rating Scale Revised, and Child’s Global Assessment Scale scores but not differentially by treatment type. Depression severity correlated with decreased adaptive coping. Better overall functioning correlated with increased adaptive coping. Females engaged in more coping than males. Older adolescents showed more maladaptive and less adaptive coping. Limitations included the narrow age range, reliance on self-report, and lack of a non-depressed control group. 

Conclusions. When tailoring interventions for maladaptive coping in childhood depression, age, gender, and overall functioning should be considered.